Indicator.



PATENTED AUG. 21, 1906.

H. A. WATSON. INDICATOR.

APPLICATION 211,21) 110v. 10. 1904.

s SHEETSSHEET 1.

N0. 829,243. PATBNTED AUG. 21, 1906. H. A. WATSON.

INDICATOR.

APPLIGATION FILED NOV 10 1904.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

W EH 4mm 5% @W UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

.Patented Aug. 21, 1906.

Application filed November 10, 1904. Serial No 232,248.

To ail whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HARRY A. WATSON, a citizen of the United States ofAmerica, residing at Pittsburg, in the county 'of Alle gheny and Stateof Penns lvania, have in vented certain new and use 1 Im rovements inIndicators, of which the fol owing is a specification, reference beinghad therein to t e accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements inindicators, and more articularly to that type which is adapted or use instreet-cars, railway-cars, and like places where it is desired todisplay the names of streets or stations at which the cars will stop.

The object of my inventionis to provide an indicator of this type whichis adapted to be actuated by the motorman of a street-car or when usedupon railway-trains by a brakeman, and the indicator is adapted todisplay at each actuation the name of the street or station at which thecar will next sto and in constructing my improved indicator haveemployed novel means for crating the same an for reversing the mec anismwhen the cars are about to make a return trip.

The invention finally consists in the novel construction, combination,and arrangement of parts, which will be hereinafter more fully describedand then specificall pointed out in the claims, and, referring to t edrawings accompanying this application, like numerals of referencedesignate corresponding parts throughout the several views, in whichFigure 1 is a pers ective view of my improved indicator, il ustratin thesame secured in a street-car. Fig. 2 1s a vertical sectional view of theend of a street-car, showing my improved indicator in position and themechanism used for actuating the same. Fig. 3 is a vertical sectionalview of my improved indicator. Fig. 4 is a horizontal sectional view ofthe same. Fig. .5 is a diagrammatical view of the wiring em loyed tooperate my improved indicator. ig. 6 is an end view of the indicatorlooking at the left-hand end of the mechanism shown in Fig. 3.

To put my invention into practice, I preferably employ a rectangularcasing consisting of a front and rear wall 1 and 2, res e'ctively, endwalls 3 and 4, and the top and ottom plates and 6. The top 5 of thecasing provided with lu s 7 7, wl1erehy the casing can be secured to t eend of a car, and in describing the invention we will assume that glasslate which is painted said casing.

the indicator is to be employed in a street car. The indicator can beplaced in either end of the car and is generally secured above The frontwall formed of a lack or otherwise arkened with the exception of theoblong space designated by the reference-nuineral 8. This space isclear, whereby the names of streets may be displayed through Above thespace designated y the reference-numeral 8 the Words Next stop arearranged, or suitable words indicating the next etc will be, forinstance, "Wood street. n the casin of my improved indicator and betweent e end walls 3 and 4 are rotatably mounted the shafts 9 and 10, whichcarry an apron 11, one end of the apron being secured to the shaft 9',While the opposite end is secured to the shaft 10, and upon this apronare arran 'ed the names of the streets or stations of the route overwhich the car passes. These shafts are ar ranged one above the otherwhereby the a ron will travel vertically be ore the space 8 o the frontof the casing. Upon the ends of the shafts 9 and 1 0 are arranged theratchet wheels 12 12, the teeth of which are identical, and upon theopposite end of the shafts are arranged the ratchet-wheels 14 14, theteeth of these wheels bein reverse to those of the wheels 12 12. To t eend walls 3 and 4of the casin are secured the guides 15, and in theseguir es are mounted the posts 16 and 17. The post 17 is provided withthe springpressed pawls 18, which are normally held in enga ement withthe teeth of the ratchet whee s 12 12. The post 16 is provided withspringpressed pawls 19, which are reversely arranged to the pawls 18,the pawls 19 being pulling awlsthat is, they operate to turn the rateets by the downward movement of the post 16. In each end of the casingare arranged the solenoids 20 and 21, the solenoid 21 being connected byan Lshaped arm to the post 17, While the solenoid 20 is connected by asimilar arm to the post 16. These solenoids are of the ordinaryconstruction, and the L-shaped arms 22 are adapted to carry suitablecores, which may be attracted b the energizing of the solenoids. In thedmgrammatrc view, Fig. 5, these cores are designated by thereference-numerals 23 and 24. The core 23 is retained in an elevatedposition by a s iral spring 25 and the core 24 retained in a oweredposition by the spiral one of the doors of t e car. of the indicator ispreferabl sufiicient wei spring 26, mounted upon their respective arms.Between the posts 16 and 17 and the ratchet-wheels 12 and 14 are theplates 27 and 28, said plates having slots 29 formed therein. The platesare supported and connected together by the arm 30, which is carried bya shaft 31, that is pivotally mounted upon the bottom 6 of the casing,said shaft extending without the casing to the front of the casing andcarrying a suitable button 32. The opposite end of the shaft 31 isprovided with t e insulated arms 33, which carry upon their outer endsthe contact'blocks 34 and 35. Each of the contact-blocks 34 35 is madein two sections, and the sections of each block are insulated from oneanother. One section of the block 35 is connected by a wire 47 to ablock 46', and one section of the block 34 is connected to the sameblock 46', while the other section of the block 35 is connected by awire 48 to a block 46, and the other section of the block 34 isconnected by a wire 47 to said block 46. Upon the bottom 6 of the casingare mounted the contact-blocks 36 and 37, which are connected b wires 38and 39, respectively, to the solenoids 20 and 21. The blocks 36 and 37are also each in two sections, the sections of each block beinginsulated from one another, the terminals of the wire 33 beingconnected, respectively, to the two sections of the block 36 and theterminals of the wire being connected, respectively, to the two sectionsof the block 37.

Reference will now be had to Fig. 2 of the drawings, wherein I haveillustrated the mechanism employed for actuating my improved indicator,and while I have onl illustrated this mechanism as being a plie to oneend of a car I wish it to be un erstood that the same may be employedupon the opposite end, whereby should the car be operated from theopposite end my improved indicator can. be readily actuated. Beneath thelatform of the car is pivotally mounted, as indicated at 40, aninsulated lever 41, carryin a contact-block 42, composed of two meta icsections insulated from one another and mounted adjacent to the oppositeend of the lever and within the platform 43 is a sleeve 44, throughwhich a headed in 45 protrudes and en ages the end of the ever 41. Uponthe un er face of the platform and in vertical alinement with thecontact-block 42 of the lever 41 are the contact-blocks 46 and 46, whichare connected by wires 47', 48 and 47 48', respectively, to the posts49, from whence the wires pass up through the framework of the car tothe contact-blocks 34 and 35. The lever 41 is constructed whereby thecontactin end of the lever will be of a ift to normall hold the pin 45in an elevate position, as i lustrated m Fig. 2 of the drawings. In thecasing of my im proved indicator are mounted the incandescent bulbs orlamps 50 50, which are connected by wires 51 51 to the car-circuit ofelectric energy.

O eration: We will assume that it is desire to displa the words Woodstreet, as illustrated in ig. 1 of the drawings, and to accomplish thisthe motorman upon passing the street prior to Wood street pressesdownwardly with his foot upon the headed pin 45, which raises thecontact-block 42 into engagement with the contact-blocks 46 and 46 themetallic piece at each side of the block 42 then spanning the insulationbetween the two metallic sections of which each of the blocks 46 46 iscomposed, and a circuit will be completed to operate my improvedindicator in either one or the other direction. The reversing mechanismof my im roved indicator is adapted to be operated y the conductor ofthe car, and b rotatin the button 32 he can actuate mec anism w ereb theindicator will be operated in either d1rectionthat is, whereby the shaft9 will take up the a ron or the shaft 10 will take up thea ron.Ksheretofore stated,the ratchetwhee s upon one end of the shafts differfrom the ratchet-wheels upon the opposite end, and I employ the lates 27and 28 for reversing the travel of the apron. These plates control thepawls 18 and 19, and by referring to Fig. 3 of the drawings it will beobserve that the plate 27 is in an elevated position, the body portionof the plate bein then interposed etween the pawls 19 an theratchet-wheels and holding the pawls 19 out of engagement with theratchet-wheels 14, while the plate 28 upon the opposite side is in sucha position that the pawls 18 can 0 erate throu h the slots 29, formed insaid ates. (See i 2.) When the button 32 has been rotate to rock thelever 30 and raise the plate 27, the contact-block 35, carried b theshaft 31, is placed in engagement with t e contact-block 37 of thecasing, and when the motorman depresses the headed pin 45 and completesthe circuit through the contact-blocks 46 and 46 the circuit is asfollows: The source of electrical energy is the car-circuit, which isconnected to the contactblocks 46 and 46, and the current then passesthrough one side of the divided contact-block 42, which is now bridgingthe s ace between two sections of the contactb ock'46 and through thewire 47 to the contact-block 35 contact-block 37, through wires to thesolenoid 21, and upon this solenoid being energized the core 24 israised, carryin with it the post 17, which raises the paw s 18 androtates the ratchet-wheels 12 sufiiciently to unwind the apron from theshaft 9 and wind it upon the shaft 10, displaying the name of the streetwhich the car 1s approaching. The circuit is completed by a wire 48 tothe whence it passes, crossin over the portion of the contact-block 42whic is now bridging the contact-block 46, from space between the twosections of block 46, b wire 51 through lamp 50 to the other wire of thecar-circuit. When the button 32 has been rotated by the conductor, hehas placed the contact-block 35 in engagement with the contact-block 37and has lowered the plate 28 to emit the pawls t0 0 erate theratchetwhee s 12. Simultaneous] with this operation the contact-block 34as been elevated and disengaged from the contact-block 36, therebybreaking the circuit through the solenoid 20 and rendering that solenoidinactive, and the plate 27 has been raised, which disengages the pawls19 from the ratchetwheels 14. 1

Upon all the names of the streets having been dis layed by the motormande ressing the hea ed pin 45 and the end of t e route having beenreached, the conductor again rotates the button 32, which will break thecircuit just described and place the pawls 18 out of operation by theelevation of the plate 28, and upon the car starting upon its route andthe motorman depressing the pin 45, the plate 27 having been placed insuch a position that the pawls 19 can be operated, the circuit inconnection with this operation is as follows: When the headed pin 45 isdepressed, the current passes through the wires 47 to the contact-block34, contact-block 36,

through the wire 38 to the solenoid, energiz ing the solenoid, whichattracts the core 23 and causes a downward movement upon the pawls 19,which will rotate the ratchetwheels in the opposite direction from thatin which the rolls have been previously rotated, the current returninover the wire 48 to the contact-block 46. t will thus be seen that withthe reversing of the mechanism the circuits are reversed, and with theassistance of the conductor and motorman of the car my improvedindicator can be operated to display the different names of the streetsof the route over which the car passes. The incandescent lamps 50 arealways in circuit with the car-circuit, as is now the common practice,and these lamps are intended to reflect their rays upon the aproncontaining the names of the streets whereby the occupants of the car canreadily observe the same.

What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a device of the type set forth, the combination with a car, of acasing mounted in said car, two shafts mounted in said casing, an aproncarried b said shafts, ratchetwhee s on the opposite ends of each shaft,a pawl adapted to engage each ratchet-wheel, two solenoids arran edadjacent to said shafts, each solenoid eing adapted to operate two ofsaid pawls, electric circuits includ ing a switch under control of themotorman for energizing said solenoids, and movable plates arran edadjacent to said ratchets at each end 0% the shafts, each plate beingadapted to throw the pawls at the same on of the shafts into and out ofaction, and means for moving said plates, substantially as described.

2. In a device of the character set forth, the combination with a car,of a casing, two shafts arranged in said casing, an a ron connected toboth said shafts, a rate et-wheel on each end of said shafts, a pawlengaging each of said ratchet-wheels, electrically-actuated means formoving two of said pawls simultaneously, and movable plates manuallyoperable, and adapted to be alternately interposed between the pawls andratchet wheels at one end of the shafts, and the pawls andratchet-wheels at the other end of the shaft.

3. In a device of the character described, the combination with a car,of a casing, shafts mounted in said casing, an a ron connected to saidshafts and adapted to ive wound upon one shaft and unwound from theother shaft, ratchet-Wheels mounted upon both ends of both of saidshafts, pawls mounted adjacent to said wheels, solenoids carried by saidcasing and adapted when energized to rotate said ratchet-wheels,mechanism located u on the platform of the car to complete an e ectriccircuit to energize said solenoids, and means carried by the casing forcontrolling the direction of the movement imparted to said apron by thesaid electric actuating means.

4. The combination with a car, of an indicator, said indicatorconsisting of a casing having a sight-opening in one of its sides,shafts rotatably mounted adjacent to'said opening, an apron attached tosaid shafts, a solenoidmounted at each end of said casing,

'mechanism actuated by one solenoid to ro- .nately rendering inactivethe solenoid-actuating mechanism at each end of the casing. In testimonywhereof I affix my signature 1n the presence of two witnesses.

IlAR RY A. WATSON.

Witnesses:

Tnos. MGCAFFREY, K. .H. BUTLER.

